Mark M

As someone who does the puzzle diligently every day of the week, I implore others to avoid getting hung up on the exact difficulty level of a “___day” puzzle. Better to enjoy each one just as it is, and look forward to the next as it comes!

Nice cUTe puzzle today! Other than Basenji (a bit of a punch in the moUTh), this was a UTopian Tuesday solve that I UTterly enjoyed.

Isn’t she lovely? What a nice ode of a puzzle to an amazing under appreciated artist. And the original writer of two of the best funk songs ever- Higher Ground (by both Stevie and then Flea and the Red Hot Chili Peppers)!

I had very little completed on my first pass through, but kept whittling away and finally completed it with no look ups. I thank the Barenaked Ladies for a big assist (“like KUROSAWA I make mad films”)!!

Loved this one. So satisfying when completing the long entries. I didn’t love TRUELEAVES crossing with CUREL, but it was the only cross where I wasn’t sure of both. Figured it out after a few minutes. A nice, crunchy Saturday with only a few proper names. Kudos sir.

Loved the wordplay within the puzzle!! Solved it cleanly, 10 minutes under my average, even without making the connection of CHANCE to CHANTS until after it was completed… This puzzle was a great exercise in sticking with it until the end!! TOMhanks for a very satisfying challenge today :) GOMee whiz!!

I’ve got to think that JackAndCoke is a first time entry. This puzzle was nice and crunchy, and the cluing was perfect for a Friday! Nicely done.

Really a stretch on the theme design. I still didn’t see the name pieces until long after I completed the grid. But the grid itself was fun and entertaining!

Anyone else have to flyspeck to fix Rager to Raver??

The puzzle was fun. But I don’t know how BEE is something you stand in for a spell. Can someone please explain? And then crossing it with the completely obscure BAOBAB tree! What the heck were we doing there?? As a typed it, I think I figured it out. Spelling bee must be what the creator was going for…pretty awkward cluing. The BEE clue should have been more direct, given the crazy cross to the B. Oh well, I learned a new word today. :)

Crossing MOUE with a film performer from the twenties and TUDE as teen slang was just awful. The rest of the puzzle was manageable although gimmicky.

The movie quotes were awesome! Jack Nicholson should have won an Oscar for his performance in the Shining- it is arguably the best movie version of a Stephen King novel. My only gripe is the use of BENDER the cartoon robot to BAHAI the religion. Both were too obscure to be crosses with each other. Maybe a clue like “one who plays Twister” or “a night on the town” would have been more appropriate for BENDER for a Wednesday! But otherwise, an eerily good puzzle today! Happy Halloween!